On a Monday evening at the Center for Self Compassion in San Francisco, I sat in a circle with six women and practiced putting my hand on my heart. A leader with a calm, steady voice guided us through the exercise, called Compassionate Touch, which involved closing my eyes, putting my hand on my heart, and saying a kind phrase to myself. She encouraged us to think about what our best friend might say to us in a hard time, something like, “This is a hard time, and you're doing your best.”

Six years ago, I was diagnosed with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - PMDD. Every month, I’d experience the typical symptoms of PMS in addition to panic attacks, depression, rage, chronic fatigue, nausea, and blinding pain.